🔥 What Is the Average Furnace Repair Cost?
The average furnace repair cost depends on fuel type, geographic location, or population density.
With that said, the national average is $308.00, with a typical range of $131.00 to $486.00.
If you’d like to find out how much your repair should have cost, then keep reading, as we’ll list out the average costs for various furnace components.
Table of Contents
🔥 Cost to Repair a Furnace
This isn’t an article that anyone ever wants to read, but if you’re here, hopefully, we can help you save some money by better understanding what furnace repair you’re up against.
Whether you have an oil furnace, an electric furnace, or a gas furnace, it should easily last 15-20 years before it needs to be replaced.
So, if your heating system is younger than that, you need to consider how your furnace has been operating recently as well as the total cost of the repair that’s needed right now.
If your furnace no longer supplies enough heat, smells like burning plastic, or your utility bills have been higher than usual, you might need a new furnace.
🔧 Do Furnace Repair Costs Vary by Type?
Yes, furnace repair costs vary by type.
If you have an electric heating system, the average electric furnace repair cost is between $100 and $500.
If you have a gas or oil heating system, the average gas furnace repair cost increases to between $300 and $1500.
🔥 Furnace Repair Cost Breakdown
🧰 Furnace Parts and Their Prices
The below parts are listed based on which furnace parts fail the most.
🧰 Furnace Filter
The HVAC industry has a love-hate relationship with furnace filters.
On the plus side, they keep the air in your home clean, but that comes with the downside of consistently replacing them.
As a furnace filter cleans the air, it traps dust and debris and starts to get plugged up, so the more it cleans the air the faster it gets clogged.
Now, if the filter gets too dirty, the heat exchanger won’t get enough airflow across it, and the furnace will trip off.
It’s an easy fix if this happens. Just replace the filter.
The average cost to replace a furnace filter is between $10.00 and $150.00. That’s a huge range, right?
That’s because most one-inch filters fall between $10 and $20, but the average cost gets thrown off because of expensive four and five-inch wide filters from proprietary companies like Carrier and Lennox.
If you want to learn how MERV rating is best for your furnace, check out this 2024 Air Filter Guide.
🧰 Flame Sensor
I would say that I changed the flame sensor on most major furnace repairs.
The reason I do this is that the majority of the cost of this furnace repair is labor.
The average cost of the part (flame sensor) is around $30-$50, but add in a minimum one-hour charge to replace it, and now you’re up to $150 or so.
To avoid having your flame sensor prematurely fail, an experienced HVAC technician should clean it once a year.
You can learn more about furnace flame sensor replacement here: How to Clean a Furnace Flame Sensor in 5 Easy Steps!
🧰 Draft Inducer Motor
This furnace repair is generally more expensive because the draft inducer is a motor.
The purpose of the draft inducer motor is to exhaust the combustion by-products like carbon monoxide out of the flue pipe.
The average cost to replace the draft inducer motor is between $850 and $1500.
🧰 Ignitor
Another one of the most common furnace repairs is the ignitor.
The ignitor is what lights the gas as it enters the heat exchanger, and because the ignitor is always sitting in the flame, it builds up carbon and eventually fails.
The average cost to replace a furnace ignitor is around $300.
Related Reading: How to Diagnose and Repair a Bad Furnace Ignitor
🧰 Gas Valve
The price of this furnace repair can vary widely depending on what brand your furnace is. Also, oil furnaces and gas furnaces have significantly different gas valves.
The gas valve is what controls the fuel flow into the heat exchanger.
To replace it there is at least one hour of labor and the price of the part.
The average furnace repair cost to replace a gas valve is between $650 and $1300.
🧰 Limit Switch
Electric furnaces, oil, and gas furnaces have limit switches to protect the furnace from overheating.
Limit switches usually fail when your furnace is subjected to consistent overheating caused by plugged filters or issues with the blower motor.
The furnace repair cost for a limit switch is between $150 and $400.
🧰 Pressure Switch
The pressure can get tripped for multiple reasons, so confirm with a manometer that the pressure switch has actually failed.
The purpose of the pressure switch is to confirm that the inducer motor is removing the flue gases from the combustion chamber as designed by the manufacturer.
The furnace repair cost for a pressure switch is between $200 and $350.
🧰 Blower Motor
This is an expensive furnace repair, especially for variable-speed blower motors.
Even if yours is a single-speed, there aren’t many simple blower motor repairs.
The blower motor is what moves the air across the heat exchanger, through the evaporator coil, and through the air ducts.
As I mentioned earlier, a variable-speed blower motor is extremely expensive, so the furnace repair cost or for a blower motor is between $850 and $3500.
🧰 Burners
The burners are what direct the gas toward the heat exchanger.
The only time they would need to be changed is if they completely rusted up and wouldn’t allow the proper mix of air and gas through them.
With that said, a furnace repair technician should clean them for you during your annual maintenance.
The repair cost of the burners is between $150 and $450.
Related Reading: What is a Furnace Burner, and Why You Should Keep Them Clean!
🧰 Circuit Board
I’ve always been surprised by this one. The control or circuit board is what runs everything in your furnace, which justifies the high replacement cost. With that said, I’ve seen some very reasonably priced furnace control boards.
The average repair cost for a furnace circuit board is between $550 and $1750.
Related Reading: How to Tell if Your Furnace Control Board Is Bad
🧰 Heat Exchanger
I’ve referenced this furnace component a few times already because it’s where the rubber meets the road.
The heat exchanger is what transfers the heat from the flame to the air in your home.
From my experience, there are only two reasons to replace this part, the first is a hole in it, and the second is if soot builds up and plugs it up.
Either way, if you need to replace it, you might ask your HVAC contractor for a quote on a new furnace.
✅ PRO TIP: Carbon monoxide leaks come hand in hand with faulty heat exchangers.
The average furnace repair cost for a heat exchanger is between $1000 and $3500.
Related Reading: What is a Furnace Heat Exchanger? How It Works and Common Problems
🧰 Heat Strips
The heat strips in an electric furnace are extremely reliable but can burn out if you don’t have proper airflow or a power supply issue.
The heat strip works like the elements in a toaster.
They glow bright orange, but instead of transferring the heat to your bagel, it transfers heat to the air in your home.
The average furnace repair cost for the heat strips in your electric furnace is between $500 to $1200.
The final price will depend on the kilowatt rating and the manufacturer.
🧰 Sequencer
The sequencer is what controls the amount of power your furnace draws when it first starts up.
If everything turned on all at once, it would probably trip the breaker.
The cost to repair or replace your furnace sequencer is between $250 and $450.
🧰 Smart Valve
A Smart Valve is rarely seen and has only been designed into a few furnace models.
If your Smart Valve fails, it may be hard to find a replacement.
The cost to replace this part is between $750 and $1800.
🧰 Thermostat
Hopefully, you’re familiar with your thermostat, and if you’ve decided to purchase a WIFI communicating t-stat, the replacement cost will be high.
The repair cost depends on whether it is digital, communicating, WIFI enabled, and many more factors but it will usually start around $120 and go up to over $1000.
Related Reading: Thermostat Not Working? Read our Quick Fix It Guide!
🧰 Transformer
A transformer turns the 120 volts into 24 volts. The furnace control circuits use 24 volts because the components are smaller and more fragile.
If the transformer fails, your thermostat won’t work (unless it has batteries) or the control board won’t have any flashing lights.
Transformers can usually be replaced for between $250 and $450.
🔥 How Much Does It Cost to Repair A Furnace Near You?
The average prices listed above have taken into account the average hourly rate for HVAC contractors across the country.
With that said, most HVAC contractors will have an hourly rate between $99 and $350 based on the average cost of living for their geographic area.
Can I Repair My Furnace Myself?
Yes, you can repair your furnace yourself, but it can lead to doing more damage than good.
If you decide to take a crack at it, you should read our article on the 16 most common problems and solutions.
✅ PRO TIP: Hire a licensed, insured, and experienced HVAC company for furnace repair services.
What Affects the Cost of a Furnace Repair?
The major contributing factors to the cost of a furnace repair are the availability of the part, the cost of the part, and the amount of labor it will take to repair or replace it.
Some HVAC contractors offer free furnace repair estimates, but I wouldn’t recommend working with a contractor that does this as they’ll most likely try to sell you more than you actually need.
When to Get a Second Opinion on a Furnace Repair
If you get a furnace repair quote and the price is more than the above-mentioned costs, you should ask for clarification on why it’s so expensive.
If the contractor’s answer seems suspect, then get a second opinion.
How to Avoid Furnace Repairs
The only answer here is regular maintenance.
Start by keeping your filter clean and by having an experienced HVAC technician perform an annual furnace inspection on your entire HVAC system.
Annual Furnace Maintenance Costs
The cost of an annual furnace maintenance contract is usually around 1.5 hours, multiplied by your local HVAC labor rate.
With that said, most contractors will offer discounts on repairs and new equipment when you’re under a contract with them.
They also prioritize you over non-contract customers.
🔥 Final Thoughts on the Cost of Furnace Repair
There are many variables when it comes to pricing a furnace repair, so ask questions and do your due diligence when choosing an HVAC company to work with.
✅ CONTRACTOR NOTE: The price of a part on Amazon does not correlate to what a contractor needs to charge you. They carry inventory and tools to help you as fast as possible, so consider the extra cost a convenience fee.
If you don’t like the high prices listed above, try the DIY route…but be careful and understand the risks.
You can start by reading as many furnace repair articles as possible on our blog.
